Introducing: Sunkissed Child

With her velvety vocals and a sound that bridges classic soul and alt-R&B, Sunkissed Child is making waves-and her debut EP is about to solidify her place in the scene. The first single, Can’t Fight The Feeling, channels raw emotion and timeless grooves, earning her praise as "an evidential talent" (Hideous Magazine) and "one to watch for sure" (Cur8 Club).

Poised to be a future powerhouse in UK neo-soul (The Pit London), Sunkissed Child’s music blends nostalgia with fresh, contemporary energy. With this release, she’s ready to reach new ears and hearts alike.

"Can't Fight The Feeling" blends nostalgic soul with deeply personal themes. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the track and how it reflects your own journey?

I first started writing this track when I moved to London around two years ago. I can vividly remember it was quite an emotional and pivotal period of my life, and I was finding myself writing and producing a lot of new music to help cope better with some feelings. It was interesting because the main reason why I decided to make the move to London from Leeds in the first place after living there for 4 years, was to turn a new leaf, to push for more growth and for a more positive outlook on life. Arriving in London and not feeling that exact level of positivity really bothered me at first; I realised that my healing journey was only really beginning, and that I had a long way to go to feel and be better with myself. That’s really quite exactly what “Can’t Fight the Feeling” is about. What I love the most about this track is this dichotomy between the joyful instrumentation and the more emotionally driven lyrics… Looking back, it exactly encapsulates that moment in time.

Your music seamlessly fuses Neo-soul, R&B, and UK Jazz with your Middle Eastern roots. How did you find the balance between these influences, and was there a turning point in embracing them authentically?

My relationship with genres has always been an interesting one, ever since I started writing music from the age of 14. I started off as a songwriter and was inspired by popular and commercial music, as it was really all I was exposed to at the time.

When I first moved to the UK is really when I became more aware of genres like neo-soul, R&B and Jazz. These genres opened up a whole new world of expressivity for me! Thanks to all of the musicians I was surrounding myself with, I slowly but surely became fluent in their particular musical languages, which I found very exciting at the time.. Still very much do!

When it comes to the Middle Eastern influences in my music, it gets slightly more complicated… I know it’s quite a cliché to say, but I've always struggled to fit into a box when it comes to my music. This feeling always kind of bugged me! I used to find it quite difficult to define what I wanted my music to sound like, as I’ve always been a writer that bases myself off day-to-day emotions and influences, letting them lead the way into my soundscape. On the other side, when you're a Middle Eastern artist, or any other type of multicultural artist, the expectations the industry can prescribe upon you and your sound can be daunting; “your music should sound like this!” or “you should be singing in your native language instead!”…

For a while, I really refused this stereotyping, especially because I used to reject my identity in a lot of ways in the past. It took me a lot of time, education and awareness to be more okay with the innate influences that come to me as a Lebanese woman. And it took me even longer to understand how to embrace that identity authentically through my music, in a way that feels right and appropriate to me! I think I still have a long way to go with that for sure, and I am excited to see what my music will sound like in a couple of years.

You've gained significant industry support and performed at major festivals. What have been some standout moments in your career so far, and how have they shaped your artistic vision?

I’m fortunate enough to have had a bunch of exciting and standout moments in my career so far, and that is thanks to all the incredible people I’m surrounded by! When you grow as an artist, it can be very easy to forget and downplay your achievements, especially as the work keeps on coming, with no time to take breaks! But I've been really practising acknowledging small wins every day; from writing a killer new track, to getting a nice comment from a stranger on my social media… It can be anything! I think one of the most significant standouts, however, was definitely getting to perform in Turkey as part of Sound of Europe Festival back in September 2023 with my band. This experience really made us all realise the potential global reach Sunkissed Child could achieve with time and patience… It really made me excited for the future!

Another big achievement that has to be mentioned was receiving a grant from Youth Music's Next Gen scheme in 2024. This grant really enabled me to work on my upcoming EP with as much freedom as I did, collaborating with so many incredible producers, musicians and creative… It really permitted me to fulfil the ambitions of this project, which is super exciting also!

With your debut EP dropping in May, what can fans expect in terms of sound and storytelling? Are there any particular themes or collaborations you’re excited about?

It's kind of crazy to think that my EP is coming out so soon… This project has been under works for nearly two years so it's a mad one! When it comes to the story telling of each track, and the whole arch of the project, I think they can really speak for themselves. “Yasmina, Like the Flower” really talks about a lot of subjects, from a healing journey, growth, pettiness, ambitions and the need to relax more, struggles of immigration…  But all of these kind of unify in their own special way. I'm really excited about one particular collaboration that's in the EP. I don't want to say too much quite yet, because I want it to be a surprise….But we've collaborated in the past and this is going to be the second track we release together. I believe what we speak about in the track is really significant for the both of us, it’s kind of an angry track if I’m honest, and people are going to love it hopefully! Regardless, every single person that's worked on this EP, from the musicians to the producers, to the creatives and the supporters… It's been such an incredible journey and I'm grateful for every single one of them for helping me make it happen.

  The UK’s underground jazz and Neo-soul scene is thriving. How has being part of this community influenced your growth as an artist, and who are some artists you’d love to collaborate with in the future?

There are so many music communities in London, and I feel very lucky to be a part of a couple, more specifically the jazz community and the SWANA creative community. Both of these meshed together is incredible really, and the importance of space to gather with these communities is vital. I think here of the Tao sol Jam which I really adore, and you should definitely check out if you’re in London. Every single artist or musician I have met throughout my journey was a humbling and exciting experience. To be honest, I am very inspired and motivated by my surroundings. It excites me to see so many people innovate with their craft, and it pushes me to do the same. Not in a competitive way, but in a bring-each-other-up type of way. Whenever I’m at jams around the city, I often find myself recording bits and pieces of the playing if I’m really enjoying it, so I can listen back and think about why I enjoyed it so much and how I can mimic it in my music, which has been quite a fun practise in my writing lately.

There are so many incredible artists I would love to collaborate with! I feel like I don’t collaborate enough! I'm a bit of a starstruck type of person so yeah I'm a big admirer of a lot of people, which is a bit lame really, but I try to embrace it. I would love to work with more rappers, guys like max Mackenzie or Saiming, who are both based in London. I’d also love to collaborate with my close friends more, like Mica Sefia, because she’s such an incredible performer and writer! And lastly, I’d love to connect and work with more international acts, more specifically French or Middle Eastern; I haven’t tapped in to those scenes as much as I would like to, and it’s really about time I get to it!